News Release
For Immediate Release: 12.11.25
Contact: Natalie Konstans, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
North Carolina City Reverses Course, Permits Local Church’s Advertisements on City Buses
City previously rejected bus advertisements due to their religious nature.
Durham, NC—The City of Durham, North Carolina will once again allow local church New Life Christian Center to advertise itself and its programs on city buses. After receiving First Liberty’s demand letter, the City retracted its rejection of the advertisements, permitting New Life Christian Center to continue spreading awareness about its congregation. First Liberty Institute, Steptoe LLP, and Brooks Pierce represent New Life Christian Center.
You can read the demand letter here.
“The First Amendment grants all Americans the right to express their point of view, religious or secular,” said First Liberty Senior Counsel Ryan Gardner. “Rejecting a faith-based advertising banner yet accepting other secular ads is clearly hypocritical, discriminatory, and illegal. We are thankful the City reversed course and will allow New Life Christian Center to run its advertisement.”
New Life Christian Center is a Christian church dedicated to improving the lives of residents in Durham, North Carolina. Through various programs, New Life Christian Center reaches out to the lost and faithless, strengthens individuals and family units, and creates a space for Christians to better themselves in accordance with their faith. Since 2007, New Life Christian Center has advertised itself on city buses to spread awareness. Their most recent advertisement, which the City has run for the past five years, includes the Church’s name, an image of its two pastors, its website address, and its phone number. In August 2025, the City rejected New Life Christian Center’s advertisement for the first time in 18 years, stating that they do not run “religious” ads. First Liberty Institute sent a demand letter 0n behalf of New Life Christian Center, asking the City to end their religious discrimination and run the church’s ads.
In their demand letter, attorneys state, “The City’s Transit Advertising Policy expressly permits non-profit organizations to advertise on City buses on a wide variety of subjects…but prohibits any religious viewpoint on these same issues…The Advertising Policy thus effectuates blatant viewpoint discrimination against our client’s religious viewpoint. It is per se unconstitutional. See Rosenberger v. Rector & Visitors of Univ. of Va., 515 U.S. 819, 829-31 (1995); Lamb’s Chapel v. Ctr. Moriches Union Free Sch. Dist., 508 U.S. 384, 393 (1993); Good News Club v. Milford Cent. Sch., 533 U.S. 98, 109-112 (2001).”
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About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact Natalie Konstans at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
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